Original US Shark Robert Herjavec defends Australian Shark Tank show against American critics

Billionaire Robert Herjavec has defended Australian entrepreneurs against their American critics — and revealed what makes our business dreams so unique.

Legendary original US Shark Robert Herjavec passionately defended Aussie ingenuity as his American TV colleagues circled, ready to attack after he returned from filming Ten’s revival of the Australian version.

“About a month (after filming in Australia) I did the American version,” the 60-year-old billionaire said.

“So of course all the American Sharks were like, ‘Oh, what’s it like? Were their ideas really bad? Were they really small?’

“And I’m like, ‘No, they were amazing’. The entrepreneurialism spirit of Australians is alive and well.”

Robert Herjavec in New York City. Picture: GC Images

Herjavec is convinced the renowned Australian tenacity flourishes thanks to the challenges of growing a viable enterprise in a smaller market.

He grew up in Canada after escaping with his parents from communism in the former Yugoslavia. And built his own businesses in a similarly challenging environment.

“You have to be really resourceful to build anything of substance,” he said.

“It’s not easy. It’s hard. But I think you naturally think global and naturally think bigger, too. Which might sound weird but I think in America because the market is so big, you can build a company in, say, Philadelphia. But in Australia, you’ve got to take on the whole country.”

Shark Tank Australia - Sabri Suby, Dr Catriona Wallace, Davie Fogarty, Jane Lu and Robert Herjavec - Adelaide-based Oodie founder Davie Fogarty is starring on Ten's Shark Tank this year. Picture: Supplied.

Herjavec – who’s also one of the founders and investors on Canada’s Dragon’s Den – rates our version as the best.

“I’m married to an Australian so of course,” Herjavec said, laughing as he clarifies that it’s not just to keep his marriage with Australian dancer Kim Johnson sweet.

The pair met on the American version of Dancing With The Stars in 2015. And married the next year. They split their time between houses around the globe, travelling with five-year-old twins Haven and Hudson.

“Honestly, I said to the producers – I was blown away by the quality of the pitches.” Herjavec said.

Herjavec has invested more than $23 million across his 14 seasons on the show. And it is his own money – as it is for the entire new panel of Sharks which include marketing agency boss Sabri Suby, AI expert Dr Catriona Wallace, Davie Fogarty, who invented the Oodie, Showpo online fashion entrepreneur Jane Lu.

Robert Herjavec and Kym Herjavec. Picture: Getty Images for Albie Awards

He jumped at the chance to join Ten’s rebooted panel – who affectionately dubbed him Robbo, the first nickname he’s ever had – to get a feel of the Australian business landscape, and find local ideas to invest in to become part of the community – especially given he and Kim are thinking of moving to Australia.

But, more importantly, he wanted to see his face on the side of a bus.

“I’m deeply disappointed there is no bus with my face on it,” Herjavec said with a cheeky smile. “I was lied to by the producers of Shark. They promised me that.

“Carson Kressley – who is the godfather to our children – and he was plastered all over buses when he was on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

“He said to me ‘when you’re really big in Australia – you get to be on the side of a bus’. And that’s all I ask for. I’m a simple guy and I just want to be on the side of a bus.”

Scene from the Channel 10 reality TV show Shark Tank 2023 season.

It’s a simpler life when the family are in Australia. The smallest house in the Herjavec portfolio is in Sydney – a “stunningly beautiful condo” right on the beach.

“We weren’t planning at the time to move back – but we bought it to spend a couple of weeks in and the babies just love it because we’re all on top of each other,” Herjavec said.

Despite heading up one of the largest IT and computer security businesses in Canada, and filming TV shows all over the globe, he ensures time with his family is his No. 1 priority.

“I am super, super busy guy – but the great thing about running your own business is you get to set your own schedule,’ he said.

“So I’m always there for the moments that matter. And I adjust my life for that because the twins don’t care about my business. They don’t care about TV.

“So it’s just a lot of sacrifice to do the things that are important to you.

So I’m up at four in the morning so I can work before they wake up.

“I’ll work after they go to sleep. I just want to I want to wring out every moment of their existence.”

Shark Tank, Tuesday, 7.30pm, Ten